An early twentieth-century case of lower lip cancer from the Morgagni Museum (Padua, Italy)

Cusan, A.; Casna, M.; Magno, G. (2025)

Article / Letter to editor

This case report presents a new interpretation of the autopsy of a man who died in 1915, based on a noninvasive macroscopic analysis of the remains combined with a review of historical and recent literature on the association of pipe smoking with lower lip cancer. The autopsy reported severe cachexia, a large ulcerated neoplastic mass on the lower lip, and characteristic dental wear suggesting habitual pipe smoking. Given historical evidence linking pipe smoking to lower lip cancer, this case aligns with documented instances of tobacco-induced oral malignancies. The study highlights the significance of curated pathological collections in revisiting medical diagnoses and understanding historical disease progression, contributing to the broader discourse.

• Anatomical preparation
• History of medicine
• Dental wear
• Tobacco consumption
• Palaeopathology

• All authors: Cusan, A.; Casna, M.; Magno, G.
• Date: 2025-10-30
• Journal: memo - Magazine of European Medical Oncology
• Volume: 18
• Pages: 320 - 323
• Advanced Publication: Yes
• DOI: doi:10.1007/s12254-025-01072-1
• Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12254-025-01072-1#rightslink